Wichita State's Fred VanVleet shaped by tough upbringing

Star point guard from Rockford lost father, friends to gun violence; now he strives to give his hometown hope

March 20, 2014|By Shannon Ryan, Chicago Tribune reporter

Wichita State's Cleanthony Early and Fred VanVleet laugh at a reporter's question at the Scottrade Center on Thursday, March 20, 2014, in St. Louis. Wichita State plays Cal Poly in the second round on Friday. (Travis Heying / MCT)

ST. LOUIS — When a team psychologist asked Wichita State players to select a word to describe themselves, Fred VanVleet chose "perspective."

The word resonates with the Rockford native, a once-overlooked recruit who has seen life through many angles at age 20.

"Coming from where I come from and the experiences I had and where I could be, I'm humbled and blessed to be where I am," VanVleet said Thursday, relaxed at his locker. "But at the same time, where I want to go and to try to get further in life, you can't be satisfied. You have to have perspective on both sides."

It's easier to start with where he is now.

A Cousy Award finalist for the nation's top point guard, VanVleet averages 12.1 points and 5.3 assists and has led Wichita State to a 34-0 record, a year after they were a surprising Final Four team. Now he and the Shockers are back on college basketball's grandest stage as a No. 1 seed, no longer an underdog when they play No. 16 Cal Poly on Friday at the Scottrade Center.

Where he's from is more complicated. Grittier and complex but no less cherished by VanVleet.

His stepfather, Joe Danforth, a veteran police officer who worked Rockford's highest-crime areas, steered him from trouble and directed him toward basketball. His mother, Susan VanVleet, gradually fed him the story of his father, Fred Manning, who was shot to death when VanVleet was 5. He had friends who were killed the same way.

VanVleet understands that the more Wichita State wins and the more his name becomes known, the better chance another kid in Rockford has hope.

"It means the world," he said. "It's one of the things that wakes me up every day, knowing I'm carrying the flag for that town. Besides my family, making them proud is right up on my list. I'm trying to bring some hope and love and great vibes to a city that hasn't had much."

When VanVleet and his brothers weren't playing basketball, Susan noted, they were bored. And boredom, as every parent knows, can lead to mischief.

So Susan encouraged the 5:30 a.m. wakeup calls from her husband that got VanVleet to basketball drills and workouts. It meant sacrificing school dances, hanging out with friends and vacations.

"At first, it was hard for him to see the big picture," Susan said.

While VanVleet at first resisted, Susan knew the practices weren't just making her son a better basketball player. They were bringing the family closer together.

"Basketball was the common denominator," she said.

With all the hard work, VanVleet figured his skills would translate to scholarship offers. Then-Illinois coach Bruce Weber visited Auburn High School once, but the recruitment ended without explanation, VanVleet said.

"People that were in the position to recruit didn't see what they wanted to, or they had their eyes on other guys," he said. "Whether that worked out for them or not, that's up to them. They have to live with those decisions."

Only Kent State and Northern Illinois offered him scholarships until he heard from Wichita State.

"I wasn't going to wait around and be someone's second or third option," he said. "I was the first option at Wichita State."